Very few people know that Mark Twain wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important, but also his best work. He spent 12 years in research and many months in France doing archival work, and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell

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Joan of Arc: A Life Transfigured

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Joan: The Mysterious Life of the Heretic Who Became a Saint

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Publisher's Summary

Very few people know that Mark Twain wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important, but also his best work. He spent 12 years in research and many months in France doing archival work, and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell. He reached his conclusion about Joan's unique place in history only after studying in detail accounts written by both sides: the French, for whom she raised an army to return the Dauphin to the throne; and the English, who fought the French in the Hundred Year's War and were ultimately Joan's executioners. This is a fascinating and remarkably accurate biography of the life and mission of Joan of Arc told by one of this country's greatest storytellers.

Well read, good quality audio, but more importantly, wonderfully written. Twain makes the 100 year war come alive. He creates a balance against the heroic Henry V. You walk the streets and understand the zeitgeist. You cheer for the people, disparage the royalty, wince at the church.

Hands down: This is the MOST comprehensive work on the life of Joan of Arc. Mark Twain knew his subject matter inside and out when he wrote this biography. Without a doubt, I would recommend this title to anyone who is interested in this subject. An excellent listen at 16 hrs. or any amount of time!!!

Twain is one of the five best writers in the English language ever and this work is up to his usual standard. It is beautifully constructed and detailed. The structure relieves any dryness from the history but does not lose any context or content. A huge pleasure to listen to. Naration is clear and well executed.

Mark Twain considered Joan of Arc to be the best human our world ever produced. His great admiration shines through and can't help but inspire the reader as well. Although the story takes some fanciful flights, it is a marvelous and amazing recounting of a peasant girl leading a nation to freedom. Since French independence was so pivotal to the American revolution, it is a part of our own history. It is a reflection of the best in human nature.

On one hand, I do love the way that Mark Twain writes and find it fascinating that he even undertook to write such a complete book about Joan of Arc. On the other hand, it is a very dramatized biography - complete with hundreds of very long conversations that can't possibly be verified or likely even reported by anyone other than Twain. So it's more of a weaving of mythology, history and Mark Twain's imagination than it is any kind of true biography. It did make for easy listening though and a general understanding of what Joan of Arc was all about in history.

I have been reading a number of biographies and histories recently. I was raised Catholic and certainly heard of Joan of Arc, but never knew her story and the context. Twain did a wonderful job telling her story and it's a fascinating one.

I expected to love this book. I usually enjoy Mark Twain, and historical fiction and biography are my favorite genres. I did manage to finish it, but only because I decided it would be good for me--like eating spinach. I'm sure the life of Joan was thoroughly researched and accurately portrayed. I expected that of Twain, and he felt this was his best fiction book after all. However, I just found Joan terribly dull and uninteresting. Compare her with Elizabeth Tudor or Eleanor of Aquitaine. I agree that she was treated very badly by the French king, but what can you expect of him? Perhaps my issue is with history itself because I could not invest in a character who maintained such blind loyalty to such an unworthy individual and ungrateful country. I gave this book three stars because of the effort that went into its writing and the mere fact that I did listen to all of it right up to the bitter end. I'm so glad it is over so I can move on to something more engaging.

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